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Flood waters in East Jakarta were rising on Thursday, with parts of Kampung Melayu now under two meters of water, while Kampung Pulo on the banks of the Ciliwung had been inundated with water up to three meters deep.

The flooding forced residents to abandon their work for the day because they needed to evacuate and rescue their valuables. However, parents decided that their children should attend school where it would be safer because the building was not flooded. Some people had gone to shelters, but some others chose to stay in their homes.

In Indramayu, West Java, hundreds of houses and hectares of shrimp farms were flooded after the Cimanuk river dam burst due to heavy rain, which has been falling since Wednesday afternoon. The residents of Jatibarang and Pilang Sari tried to stop the water using sandbags, but were unsuccessful.

In Bojonegoro, East Java, four hours of rain caused hundreds of houses to flood. The one meter high flood affected four villages. Most residents chose to stay in their homes and wait for the water to recede.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Red Cross was prepared to handle the yearly flood, said chairman Jusuf Kalla. The former vice president made the statement before a hearing with Commission IX of the House of Representatives with Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), Mer-C and Indonesian Red Crescent societies on Thursday to discuss disaster management.

“We’re always prepared, always ready,” Kalla said.